Sixty-seven Minutes

     This week marked the ninety-third birthday of the great Nelson Mandela. The Nelson Mandela foundation has decided that since Mandela, himself, spent sixty-seven years of his life struggling for the freedom of an entire nation, that it would only be fitting if we, as that nation, commemorated his efforts in some gallant way. So, what better way to do this than to give a little bit of your own time, on this day, for other people. How about sixty-seven minutes of selflessness?
     When I started thinking about what I could do for 67 minutes for someone else, I started to panic. Thoughts like, "67 minutes is a long time" and "who on earth has 67 minutes to give away on a Monday" Suddenly I felt ashamed of myself, I talk a big talk, but when I am not on a ministry trip or involved with some organised event to bring the good news to others, am I in fact selfish? When left alone, with no-one watching, when the spotlight is elsewhere, are we in fact inherently selfish? The answer is an overwhelming, yes.
     If we had more people like Mandela, selfless people, dedicated to a cause, putting a noble ideal ahead of their own comfort and before their personal gain; wouldn't the world have such a different look about it? Imagine if we didn't just give up 67 minutes, once a year, but that everyone who physically could, gave 67 minutes a day to a cause, without expecting anything in return. This world would not be entirely void of poverty or sadness, but there would be a whole bunch of people less depressed with their situations, because they are finally starting to look beyond themselves. The intrinsic tendency of self-centerdness in humans is the root cause of most psychological and emotional disparity.
     So, how does one find a cause, where do you start giving, when, your whole life you've just been taking? It's not hard, you don't have to look far to find someone to bless with your time, money or a smile. Yes, it has to be deliberate, but once you start looking and finding people to bless and causes to forward, life becomes that much more rewarding. Living for something other than yourself, goes a long way in acknowledging that you are not God, that others are as important to Him as you are to yourself.
     Sixty-seven minutes a year can easily become 67 minutes a week and before you know it you've dedicated 67 years of your life to a cause that makes your time here in earth worth while. A sure way to limit regrets in life is to live selflessly. It starts with 67 minutes ... see also the post on An Ideal for Which I am Prepared to Die